On a Medical Mission

Daily News Journal – Murfreesboro, TN

Feb 17th, 2009

Though they’re still studying, Elliott Tenpenny and Caleb Trent, both Murfreesboro natives, have already begun making their mark in the world in the field of medicine.

Tenpenny is now a medical student in Memphis, and Trent is an intern in St. Louis. The men have been involved with an ongoing medical mission project that has identified and started treatment of people in a remote part of Haiti with severe iodine deficiency.

This deficiency can cause large thyroid swelling and mental retardation.

“A friend of mine took a trip down in the mountains of Haiti and noticed people with giant goiters on their necks,” Tenpenny explained. “These goiters are caused by iodine deficiency.”

“Iodine deficiency is the number one cause of preventable mental retardation world wide,” Tenpenny said, “And it’s easily reversible — it costs just pennies per person.” Children can be treated for 2 to 5 cents each, he said.

According to UNICEF statistics, 38 million newborns worldwide are at risk for developing the lifelong consequences of brain damage associated with iodine deficiency.

One million children in Haiti are at risk, Tenpenny said.

The men and their team have traveled to Haiti several times to administer treatment to people suffering from the condition and to monitor their progress. They just returned from their most recent trip at the end of last month and Tenpenny said they have seen a few of these massive goiters disappear due to the treatment they were able to provide.

“The people have been very receptive,” Tenpenny said. “Each time we go, more and more people show up, so word is spreading throughout the mountains.” He said that by the time the team is ready to start its day, there could be between 60 and 100 people lined up and waiting for treatment.

“We’re working with community leaders and the mayor of the principality, and have gotten permission from the government.”

“Our goal there was to have a general medicine clinic. We would see anything from severe skin conditions, kids whose bellies were swollen from worms, to people who were really sick with wound infections,” he said.

Though both plan to specialize in emergency medicine, they had the opportunity to present their findings at a conference in a thyroid meeting in September.

“If you don’t have enough iodine in your diet, your thyroid gland gets big,” explained Trent, who is now an intern in St. Louis.

The two Murfreesboro natives are in the process of establishing their nonprofit organization, Aid for Haiti, where they hope to coordinate trips where medical students can be involved in helping people in need of care.

He said that while there are hospitals in Haiti, some of the people who live in the more remote areas can’t easily access them or afford to access them.

“We have big dreams,” Trent said.

“We don’t know what it will involve or what it look like,” he said, referring to whether they will be able to establish a full-time clinic in the area.

Trent said his involvement in the process has made him grateful.

“We have been given so much and we generally have so much, that we sometimes take it for granted. Here, if worse comes to worse, we go to the emergency room. There, if worse comes to worse, they go get the coffin.”

“It’s one of the more important things I felt I’ve been able to do,” Tenpenny said. “To make a difference and to be able to see the difference, and to prevent mental retardation in children, has been an amazing adventure, really.”